Cellulosic sponge manufacture



United States atent 3,018,192 CELLULOSIC SPONGE MANUFACTURE Georg Hennemann, Velp, and Albertus Gerardus Lutgerhorst, Arnhem, Netherlands, assignors to American Enka Corporation, Enka, N.C., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Filed July 30, 1958, Ser. No. 751,832

Claims priority, application Netherlands Aug. 16, 1957 4 Claims. (Cl. 117-98) This invention relates to the manufacture of artificial sponges and more particularly to the manufacture of sponges having improved resistance to bacteria and fungi.

Processes are already known for the production of artificial sponges from regenerated cellulose in which the sponges are treated with a disinfectant to prevent attack by bacteria and fungi.

According to one of the known processes, the artificial sponge of regenerated cellulose is treated with a reaction product of Water soluble polyacrylic acids and quaternary ammonium compounds of high molecular weight.

The sponges treated in this manner are indeed highly resistant to attack by bacteria and fungi, but they have the disadvantage of losing part of their resiliency during use.

A process has now been found for the treatment of artificial sponges of regenerated cellulose as a result of which the sponges are likewise not attacked by bacteria and fungi. The sponges treated according to the process of the invention have the additional advantage that they retain their resiliency after prolonged use.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved process for treating sponges.

Another object is to provide an artificial sponge having increased resistance to bacteria and fungi attack as well as good resiliency.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following fiow diagram wherein the blocks connected by solid lines show the several steps of the process and the dotted lines show the modified process in which the steps are reversed.

Artificial sponge of regenerated cellulose Treatment with an aqueous solution of carboxy methyl cellulose or alkali metal salt thereof Treatment with a quaternary ammonium compound of high molecular Weight I Reaction Reaction Treatment with an aqueous solution of carboxy methyl cellulose or alkali metal salt thereof Treatment with a quaternary ammonium compound of high molecular weight It has been found that the reaction product of carboxy methyl cellulose and quaternary ammonium compound adheres to the regenerated cellulose. As a result the reaction product remains in the sponge during use and cannot be removed by Water.

If an alkali metal salt of carboxy methyl cellulose is used according to the invention, sodium carboxy methyl cellulose is preferred.

Quaternary ammonium compounds with a germicidal action suitable for use in the invention include the following: cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, cetyl dimethyl ethyl ammonium bromide, stearyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, lauryl triethyl ammonium chloride, octadecenyl dimethyl ethyl ammonium bromide, octadecyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium bromide, cetyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, lauryl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, di-isobutyl cresoxy ethoxy ethyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride and di-isobutyl phenoxy ethoxy ethyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride.

The invention will be further illustrated with reference to the following examples.

EXAMPLE I Twenty-five artificial sponges produced from viscose were immediately after their production centrifuged. The centrifuged sponges were first treated with an aqueous solution containing 1.0% by weight sodium carboxy methyl cellulose with a viscosity of about four centipoises at 20 C.

The sponges were centrifuged and thereafter treated with an aqueous solution containing 1.0% by weight lauryl triethyl ammonium chloride. The sponges were then rinsed with water and finally again centrifuged.

For test purposes, the twenty-five treated sponges were used with twenty-five untreated sponges for an eightmonth period of time for Washing automobiles. Thereafter the sponges were judged on the following points: smell, resilience, signs of attack and appearance. The results are as shown in Table I.

Table 1 Without resilience Deterio- Damaged appearance Untreated Sponges Treated Sponges EXAMPLE l1 Twenty-five artificial sponges produced from viscose were treated with an aqueous solution containing 1% by weight di-isobutyl phenoxy ethoxy dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride monohydrate. After centrifuging, they were treated with an aqueous solution containing 1% by weight sodium carboxy methyl cellulose with a viscosity of about four centipoises at 20 C. The sponges thus treated were then rinsed with water, centrifuged and dried.

The treated sponges were used for washing automobiles for eight months; at the same time, twenty-five untreated sponges were used for washing cars for comparative purposes.

The sponges were judged as described and results are given in Table H.

Table II Musty Without Deterio- Damaged resilience rated appearance Untreated Sponges 18 8 9 12 Treated Sponges 1 0 1 3 What is claimed is: 1. In a process for the production of artificial sponges of regenerated cellulose, the improvement comprising treating the sponges with a material selected from the group consisting of reaction products of carboxy methyl cellulose and a quaternary ammonium compound of high molecular Weight, and reaction products of an alkali metal salt of carboxy methyl cellulose and a quaternary ammonium compound of high molecular weight.

2. In a process for the production of artificial sponges of regenerated cellulose, the improvement comprising treating the sponges with an aqueous solution of sodium carhoxy methyl cellulose and then With an aqueous solution of lauryl triethyl ammonium chloride.

3. In a process for the production of artificial sponges of regenerated cellulose, the improvement comprising treating the sponges with an aqueous solution of di-isobutyl phenoxy ethoxy ethyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride and then With an aqueous solution of sodium carboxy methyl cellulose.

4. An artificial regenerated cellulose sponge containing a material selected from the group consisting of reaction products of cal-boxy methyl cellulose and a quaternary ammonium compound of high molecular Weight and reaction products of an alkali metal salt of carboxy methyl cellulose and a quaternary ammonium compound of high molecular Weight.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,388,169 Byers Aug. 23, 1921 2,137,465 T hackston n Nov. 22, 1938 2,169,392 Powers Aug. 15, 1939v 2,609,270 Couper Sept. 2, 1952 2,853,414 Wimmer Sept. 23, 1958 2,955,958 Brown Oct. 11, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 578,404 Great Britain June 27, 1946 

1. IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL SPONGES OF REGENERATED CELLULOSE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING TREATING THE SPONGES WITH A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF REACTION PRODUCTS OF CARBOXY METHYL CELLULOSE AND A QUATERNARY AMMONIUM COMPOUND OF HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT, AND REACTION PRODUCTS OF AN ALKALI METAL SALT OF CARBOXY METHYL CELLULOSE AND A QUATERNARY AMMONIUM COMPOUND OF HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT. 